Many disposable garments, such as diapers, incontinence articles, training pants, feminine hygiene products, hospital gowns, bandages, and the like include various elastic portions that are intended to give the garments form fitting properties. For example, many disposable diapers include elastic members positioned around the waist of the garment and leg elastics which are intended to surround the legs of the wearer. In addition, diapers can also include elasticized, longitudinally extending barrier flaps which encircle the upper thighs of the wearer. The above elastic portions are intended to not only make the garment more comfortable to wear, but are also used to inhibit the leakage of body fluids from the absorbent article.
In addition to elastic portions, in the past, those skilled in the art have also proposed placing adhesives on garments whereby the adhesive may engage the skin of the wearer when the garment is being worn. The adhesive may be positioned on the garment, for instance, to further inhibit the leakage of body exudates from the absorbent article or inhibit the leakage of other fluids. For example, the use of adhesives on absorbent articles is disclosed in PCT Application Publication Number WO 97/17926 (U.S. Pat. No. 6,277,106) and in PCT Application Publication Number WO 00/37008 (U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,988), which are both incorporated herein by reference.
Although the use of adhesives for securing garments to the wearer's skin has shown to be effective in preventing the leakage of fluids from the garments, problems have been experienced in finding a mechanism that delivers the adhesive on the garment for later attachment to the wearer. For example, in the past, the adhesive areas have been covered with a peelable strip that the user is to remove prior to donning the garment. Consumers, however, have been reluctant to expose the adhesive and thus, in some situations, have opted not to remove the peel strip. Some users, for instance, have a tendency to believe that the exposed adhesive will somehow create a certain amount of discomfort for the wearer instead of improving fit and performance.
In view of the above, a need currently exists for an improved construction for incorporating body adhesives into garments. For instance, a need exists for a garment that incorporates adhesives that automatically adhere to the wearer's skin when the garment is donned.